Billiards 1-2 romp lands Phl 2nd gold

GUANGZHOU – Billiards’ 1-2 punch gave the Philippines a gold-silver medal finish and the morale boost it needed as the XVI Asian Games marched inexorably to its halfway mark yesterday in this city at the southern border of China.

Dennis Orcollo and Warren Kiamco cleared the path to an all-Filipino confrontation by disposing of their rivals in the round of 16, quarterfinals and semifinals, giving the Philippines its first gold-silver finish and second after the gold medal win of Biboy Rivera in billiards singles.

The Philippines’ gold-silver-bronze medals standing stood at 2-1-4 counting the two bronze medals in dancesport and one each in bowling and wushu after five days of action in the Games.

The feat, fashioned out in the billiards hall of the ultra-modern Asian Games Gymnasium, kept billiards’ winning tradition in the quadrennial meet where it won the 8-ball doubles courtesy Nicoy Lining and Django Bustamante in Busan and the singles won by Antonio Gabica in Doha, Qatar.

“It’s a great feeling to win a gold and silver in the Games. I hope this will serve as an inspiration for our other athletes to win in their events,” said chief of mission Joey Romasanta who watched the semifinals and finals and presented the flowers and medals in the awarding ceremonies.

Brothers Rey and Victorio Saludar took the cue in boxing as they produced a twin kill that brought them to the next round.

Victorio packed power in his punch as he overwhelmed Malaysian Mohd Rewdzuian Muhammad Fuarabut, 8-1, in the preliminaries of the 46 kg class.

Rey crushed Bhutan’s Kinley Gyelthsen into submission in the first round of the 52 kg.

As the Games edged closer to the halfway stage, more and more are dropping out of the battle lines of the 188-strong Philippine contingent.

Marlon Avenido and Jade Zafra fell in taekwondo, Jemyca Aribado and Yvonne Dalida dropped out after the first round in the individual event in squash.

Marlon Manalo did not reach the second round in snooker singles. Iris Ranola reached only as far as the quarterfinals in 9-balls singles while her teammate Rubilen Amit crashed out in the Last 16.

Women’s doubles bets crashed out of the preliminaries, so were the doubles pairs in soft tennis.

Miguel Molina (200m breaststroke) and Ryan Arabejo (1,500m freestyle) advanced to the finals in swimming but Jasmine Alkhaldi (50m butterfly) Erica Totten (200m IM) were out of it.